INSEAD Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation

You have a competitive profile for INSEAD. And maybe you don't have to have 700+ certainly high 600's will be important. Everything else looks good.

Best,

Hi, Please help with an evaluation of my profile. I'm aiming to apply for Sep 2018 intake. Any advice on how the profile can be tweaked/presented better would also be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Indian, Male, 31 Years

Education
- Engineering undergraduate from mid-tier Indian university (CGPA: 7.2/10)
- MBA from IIM Indore (GPA: 2.3)

Work Experience
- 7 Years total work ex. in strategy, sales & marketing & consulting; Location throughout has been in India
- 1 Year experience of business development for European clients
- 1 Year consulting experience with SEA clients

GMAT: 770 (Q49/V47)

Extracurriculars: Significant portfolio in graphic design & photography over the years, Led numerous teams during college years
Volunteering Experience: Not substantial

Hi Sudhir,

That's an excellent GMAT score. Looking at the past entries on this thread I get a feeling, INSEAD's average GMAt score is gonna sky rocket this year, if all ye applicants get lucky and get admission.
Jokes apart, you have an excellent GMAt score, which should help you offset your dismal performance in your first MBA. The INSEAD MBA is exxxtremely hectic, so you may just be under the scanner for performing badly in the first MBA. Your GMAT score suggests that you are willing to put the requisite effort to achieve results, but you should still address the GPA problem in the optional essay.

Your work experience sounds fine. We are missing the impact of your work in the description above, so we'll assume you have some great stories to support you. Having international work experience would be a plus, but since you don't have it, still do emphasize upon working in global teams and being culturally sensitive.

Many thanks Namita!

Hi all, would love to get your initial evaluation on my profile for application to INSEAD. I am aiming to apply this year but still not 100% sure between Sept 2018 vs Jan 2019 intakes. My brief profile is below:

Indian, Male, 24

GMAT: 740 (45V, 47Q - definite scope for improvement in Q as I did not prepare diligently enough)

Education
-Undergraduate degree in Business with a major in Finance from University of Delhi (Score: 77%)
- CFA Level 3 candidate - result for level 3 exam expected in August

Work Experience
- 2.5 years as Knowledge Analyst at top tier management consulting firm, with multiple onsite international projects in 7 countries across 4 continents and 2 early promotions
- 0.5 years as Research Associate in one of the largest financial database company

Extracurricular
- During undergrad, Vice President for the local chapter of a leading student led, social entrepreneurship organisation that creates businesses for underprivileged sections of the society. Nothing major since.

Post MBA goals: Goal is to specifically work in Management Consulting, preferably in the Financial Services practice

Would appreciate your views on my chances on applying to INSEAD! Would the quantum of work-ex be enough? Any other specific areas I should be working on?

Thanks a lot in advance for your inputs!

If you are aiming for Consulting, you should be applying for January term which has an eight week internship built into the program structure. The extra time in hand will also enable you to gain more work experience (the average work exp. at INSEAD 5.7 years : see Class profile
It will also give you time to boost your extra curricular activities and present a more rounded profile to INSEAD when you finally apply.



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Hello,

I have been following several GMAT Club threads over the last few months. I'd love to hear some feedback on what you think my chances are at getting a look from INSEAD. My plan is to apply for January 2019 intake (I know this is far in advance).

Here's a quick glance at my profile:

Hispanic-American, Male, 25
Undergrad- Finance degree from Top 50 US university
GPA: 3.79/4.00

GMAT- 710 (Q-46, V-41, IR - 7) - This was my first try, I plan on taking it again in a couple of months (aiming for a 740-750).

Work Experience (at time of matriculation): 30 months
2 years as Financial Analyst at high-growth, well-renowned Silicon Valley tech company.
0.5 years as Revenue Accountant at same company.

Responsible for overseeing +$10M in monthly transactions at point of revenue recognition, manage quota/territory assignments and planning for a team of 200+ sales consultants, created and implemented in-depth scorecard system that spread across business and entire sales organization. Can mention several different instances where team heavily depended on my expertise to navigate through difficult, short-handed situations (company is almost growing too fast to hire enough employees).

International Experience:
Lived for 2 years in South American country as church missionary, managing training, logistics, transport, and agenda for groups of 20+ representatives. Spent one month as a humanitarian organization youth leader in Caribbean building a medical clinic for struggling community, managing a group of 20+ American youth and initiating free English learning program for locals. Have traveled extensively (over 30 countries), including spending 1 month in Europe, visiting dozens of Fortune 500 companies and meeting with executives.

Extracurricular:
1. Fluent in English/Spanish, basic knowledge of Portuguese
2. Board Member of University Alumni Organization
3. Volunteer at Entrepreneurship Center for underprivileged Hispanic families
4. Volunteer youth instructor at local church
5. Semi-professional soccer player while in college

I have also considered applying to some US B-schools, but I'm worried that my WE is not long enough to warrant consideration. My goal would be to use B-school as pivot to Consulting (preferably M/B/B). I'm open to living abroad. I think my recommendations will be solid (and most likely from top b-school grads).

Any help is much appreciated! Thanks!

Hi,

You have an excellent profile with great achievements. Apart from what you guessed (WE) nothing falls shorts in your application. 2.5 years of work ex puts you in a less than average bracket but you do meet the min requirement. While 710 is also a competitive score there's always room for improvement just to be extra sure. Good Luck !

Best,

Hi there,

You have an excellent profile too. You have good academic aptitude and your work ex is good too. Yes you are on the lower side of the average WE but in my opinion it shouldn't be a deterrent. Your international work ex will certainly add to your profile. You should get involved in community service. Most candidates do have some involvement during their undergrad but its valued by adcoms if you are still giving back to the community. Rest everything seems in order. Good Luck !

Best,

Hi Sudhir,

Wow amazing GMAT score ! You have obviously a good profile with high chance of getting in INSEAD. You have great work ex that will help you display leadership and team work experience. You must also portray a steady career progression graph. My concern is with your second MBA and no community service. Don't give adcoms a chance to find shortcomings in your profile. Get involved. Further, you should have a pretty solid reason ready to answer concerns about your second MBA. Good Luck !

Best,

Hi..I plan to apply this year for the Sep 2018 intake. Please share your feedback./Background and nationality - I am a medical doctor (general physician) INDIAN MALE 28 years of age
Undergrad Information - M.B.B.S. from one of the top medical schools in India
GMAT: 730 (IR was 3/8) so reappeared 710 (IR 7/8). Both scores sent to INSEAD
Work experience and leadership - Total 3 years. Worked in a clinical role at a government hospital. Then in a managerial role (networking/recruitment/market communication) with an international healthcare not for profit organization. Then in a private clinic. On the look out for another role right now. Never had direct reporting to me(except 2 paramedical staff at the clinic)
Community and others- International healthcare not for profit organization. Also as health officer in Indian healthcare not for profits.
Post MBA goals - Healthcare management with development organizations.
Anything else- Captain of the college basketball and soccer team. Organizer of college youth fest

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Hi GP,
I'm so sorry to see that your score dropped to increase IR. But still your score is competitive. And with your unconventional profile you stand a good chance. Healthcare is growing as a specialisation for MBAs and there are wide options in recruitment too. Your work ex is on the lower side, your EC and community engagement is good. Now just prepare a stellar application and go ahead. Let me know if you'd like to discuss your profile over a free consult call. Hope this helps.

Best,

HI,

It sounds like you have changed three jobs already in three years. Any specific reason for this? Its is likely going to be a red flag with business school.

On Another note, you should consider ISB which has a strong focus on healthcare management and also has hospitals/medical device companies recruiting for their leadership development program.

Hi,

New to this forum, found everything on here to be very helpful!

I am a 25 yo Indian male with a degree in Mechanical engineering from a top 5 private university in India.

Aiming for the September '18 intake at INSEAD, my GMAT score is 740:
Q 49, V 42 IR 8

I currently have 3 years of work ex with Michelin, having worked at their Headquarters in Clermont Ferrand, France for 21 months. I returned last year to the Indian office as manager of a team of 6 people in the RDI division. Very unusual circumstances and a glowing reco from my French boss resulted in me being made the leader of this team, the youngest manager for sure in Michelin India, perhaps all of Asia but I can't be very sure.

I speak Hindi, English and French fluently, and interact with people from over 10 nationalities at work (most frequently with French, American, Thai and Chinese colleagues), and have traveled to a host of countries in Europe.

The office I work in currently has a host of expats that I work directly with, mostly French, some American and a tiny percentage of Thai and Japanese people.

How good are my chances? I do not have much (any) volunteering experience I can speak of, and whilst I do have some hobbies (Reading, traveling, gym, 10m air rifle shooting, some Martial arts in the past), I have none that I've been super involved with. Average academic record, equivalent to a 76% score in my undergaduate degree.

I'd appreciate any comments, suggestions you might have.

I'd say that that your odds are extremely strong, for all the reasons that you just mentioned. The kind of profile you're developing is exactly the type they look for. Thinking through their four criteria you definitely have academics, leadership and international orientation. I would probably use the optional essay on how you could contribute at Insead, given that the contribution question is what might raise an eyebrow, because you haven't done that in the past. If the following year and your job will bring forth even more opportunities for progression and things like that I would probably wait it out another year and actually get some volunteering and hobbies under your belt. But if there is some time-sensitive reason that you want to go now I would just make sure that you research and consider how you would contribute to INSEAD.

https://MBAPrepCoach.COM

Thanks, I agree with you about the contribution question. I hope to address it by stressing that as a young manager in a management team full of professionals with more experience than my age, I have learnt over the past year to be vocal and engage in constructive debate and contribute in a meaningful manner in every discussion, no matter what the company- something imperative to the success of INSEAD's conflict-oriented study groups.

Would that be a good strategy?

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I'm sorry but I'm not really feeling it. First of all, I don't want them to get the impression that you are an inexperienced know it all who is trying to run the place. That would be bad. You want to be perceived as a team player and when leading, doing so by winning over hearts and minds and not by aggressive debate.

But even more importantly, I am not sure it really gets to the heart of what they are looking for. yes, it's good that you are not a wallflower at work. But INSEAD wants to know not just that you will contribute but that what you have to talk about in class will add value to the educational experience of your classmates. Focus on the unique contribution you could make and why they would be losing out if they passed you up.

Also, think about contribution more broadly - organizing international week activities, or otherstudent activities. And of course, how you could and would contribute as an alum. Research school and program offerings where they could leverage your background and perspective.